Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Copying photos and films for private use

The Government is reviewing the operation of two new copyright exceptions that provide for ‘format shifting’. These exceptions are sections 47J and 110AA of the Copyright Act 1968 which permit photographs and cinematograph films to be reproduced in a different format for private use, subject to certain conditions.

Sections 47J and 110AA were introduced by the Copyright Amendment Act 2006 and commenced on 11 December 2006. That Act also requires that a review of the operation of these provisions be carried out by 31 March 2008. 

The purpose of this paper was to invite submissions on whether sections 47J and 110AA were operating satisfactorily or whether either provision should be modified in some way. No particular view or course of action was endorsed.

Submissions were invited from interested parties on the matters covered in this paper. The closing date for submissions was 29 February 2008.

Submissions received

Please contact the Copyright Law Branch if you have any difficulty accessing the documents.